Class A Synthetic Roofs Resist California Wildfires

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Thousands of anxious people in northern Los Angeles County today are being evacuated from their homes due to raging wildfires that started late Thursday southwest of Palmdale. Perhaps the only homeowners experiencing some sense of calm are those who previously made the investment in Class A synthetic roofing tiles.

“It’s heartbreaking to watch the news videos of peoples’ dream homes going up in flames as a result of out-of-control wildfires in California,” says Ray Rosewall, president and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes®. “Most significantly, it’s avoidable. While the majority of natural wood shake and shingle roofs are tinderboxes waiting to ignite, synthetic roofing systems have extremely high tolerance to flames.”

Synthetic slate and shake roofing tiles manufactured by DaVinci have been tested and achieved a Class A rating for fire retardance. This means that the roof will withstand extended fire exposure. With a roof bearing a Class A rating, homeowners know that their roofs will resist the spread of fire and help protect the roof deck while not producing flying firebrands and embers.

“The ongoing wildfire potential in dry areas across the country increase the value of a roof made of fire-resistant synthetic roofing tiles,” says Rosewall. “Unfortunately the extremely dry weather, mixed with strong winds, represents the perfect recipe for wildfires. Given today’s wildfires in California, it makes more sense than ever before for people to help protect their homes with synthetic roofing tiles that won’t promote flame spread.”

Surviving a Wildfire

According to the report “Living With Fire” released through the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, wood shake and shingle roofs increase the risk of structural loss due to wildfire. The report cites that, depending on the amount of brush clearance near a home, houses with untreated wood roofs were up to 21 times more likely to be destroyed by wildfire than those with fire resistant roofs.

How can a home survive a wildfire? While there are no guarantees, you can dramatically improve the odds for survival by clearing vegetation and bushes around the home and by having a fire resistant roof overhead.

“We use independent, third parties to test our roofing materials to assure they meet or exceed Class A ratings so that homeowners have the peace-of-mind of knowing their homes will be secure,” says Rosewall. “Our roofing tiles have also achieved the highest rating for straight line wind testing at 110 mph, Miami Dade Florida wind certification, and a Class 4 rating for impact resistance. This means the roofing tiles can resist wildfires along with the falling and flying debris during wildfires.

“No matter where you live, having a DaVinci Roofscapes synthetic roof overhead means you have gone the extra mile to increase the odds that your home, personal belongings and family treasures will be there when the wildfires, hail and severe weather have passed.”

West Coast Homeowners Rely on Synthetic Roofing

“Our insurance company basically told us to get rid of the original cedar shake roof or they would drop us,” says homeowner Emilio Ricci. “We did some research and liked the functionality and long life span of the DaVinci synthetic shake roofing tiles. In our area, it was extremely important that the roofing tiles meet Class A for fire retardance. These tiles achieve that by meeting the ASTME E 108 fire test.”

Since the roof on Ricci’s 960-square foot A-frame home covers the vast majority of the exterior, he paid special attention to the roofing tiles selected. “We found that the synthetic roofing tiles were within our budget and added a strong visual appeal to the home,” says Ricci. “Now we’re counting on the 50-year warranty of the product so that we don’t have to replace the roofing tiles again for decades.”

DaVinci Roofscapes use virgin resins to assure product consistency and longevity in their roofing tiles. The proprietary engineered polymer incorporates fire retardant and state of the art UV and color stabilizers specifically formulated to withstand the wide variety of challenging environments that roofing materials are exposed to year after year.

DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning synthetic slate and shake roofing since 1999. The polymer roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. DaVinci proudly makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For additional information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit our website.